Norwegian Metal

Darkthrone – Old Star Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on June 5, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Heavy Metal, Norwegian Metal, Peaceville, Reviews, Black Metal, Heavy Metal, 92 comments

“Well, you always get what’s coming to you. Though I’m a faithful and unfaltering fan of everything Darkthrone, the band’s 2016 full-length release kinda ticked me off. Having dealt with Napalm and Frontier Record’s insistence on sending out stream-only promos to music journalists across the world, I was a little peeved when Peaceville did the same with Arctic Thunder. Everyone remembers it. And I said some things I shouldn’t have. But, I got over it. And so did everyone else. But, when talk of the newest Darkthrone opus, Old Star, rolled around, I was content with receiving another stream-only promo. I mean, fair is fair, right?” Damn the stream!

Gaahls WYRD – GastiR – Ghosts Invited Review

By Grymm on May 29, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, 69 comments

“Kristian Eivind Espedal, aka Gaahl, is a controversial yet prolific figurehead in the Norwegian black metal scene. His work with Gorgoroth, Trelldom, God Seed, and Wardruna showcases how influential and varied his vocal abilities truly are. Of course, felony charges for assault, receiving death threats for coming out as openly gay in 2008, giving eccentric interviews involving the dramatic uttering of one word, and teaming up with former Gorgoroth bandmate King ov Hell in a failed attempt to wrestle the name away from guitarist and sole remaining founding member Infernus in 2007 all have a tendency to overshadow any and all of your accomplishments, no matter how powerful. With all that in mind, we are now in possession of GastiR – Ghosts Invited, the debut full-length from Gaahl’s newest project, Gaahls WYRD.” Satan…is in the details

Helheim – Rignir Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 8, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Dark Essence Records, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Viking Metal, Black Metal, Viking Metal, 38 comments

“As I sit here with Helheim’s newest album, Rignir, two things occur to me. First, Helheim is the most-consistent band I know. Not only are all their albums good or great but they’ve been releasing a new one every 2-3 years since 1995. Second, I’ve been at AMG far longer than I realized. Having first reviewed this black/Viking metal band back in 2015, Rignir is now the third time I’ve penned some words on their music.” The olde and the reliable.

Inculter – Fatal Visions Review

By Holdeneye on April 12, 2019 in 2019, Edged Circle Productions, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, 128 comments

“What is an Inculter? Is it the person sitting behind the registration table at your local religious cult convention? You know, the one who greets you, helps you select the appropriate cult, provides the correct forms for you to fill out, and introduces you to the last family you’ll ever have? Or could it be that all-important person involved in the metal production process who is directly responsible for injecting the proper amount of cvltness into the music?” The cult of fatality.

Nordjevel – Necrogenesis Review

By Grymm on March 28, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Osmose Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 87 comments

“As I’m typing this, I’m in the most comfortable of cargo shorts and death metal t-shirts. Birds harmonize from the tops of leafless trees as my eyes and nostrils water due to flowers, weeds, and various fauna having a mass self-orgy. Yep, it’s springtime here in the realm of the Grymm, and yours truly isn’t quite prepared for the eventual descent into summer[1. Which I’m predicting will be next week.]. So what’s a man-cat to do to try to cool off just a little bit more? As I’m currently out of ice cream, it only makes sense to crank some icy-chill black metal from the happiest of lands: Norway! Nordjevel’s second album, Necrogenesis.” Evil in the shade.

Tempel – Tempel Review

By Mark Z. on March 20, 2019 in 2019, Hard Rock, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Jansen Records, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Hard Rock, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, 29 comments

“Tempel originally caught my eye because I thought they were Tempel, the instrumental Arizona metal band whose sophomore album I reviewed back in 2015. But no, it turns out this Tempel is actually a new band formed by Kvelertak drummer Kjetil Gjermundrød, who recruited his brothers Epsen and Inge as well as longtime friend Andreas Johnson for the project. Tempel is the group’s debut album and it promises a melding of hard rock and metal in the vein of Mastodon, Kylesa, and Kvelertak themselves.” TempelARS.

Superlynx – New Moon Review

By Cherd on March 16, 2019 in 2019, Dark Essence Records, Doom Metal, Norwegian Metal, Occult Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Doom Metal, Occult Rock, 47 comments

“Stoner doom can frequently be heard in the House of Cherd. I enjoy it in my rotation, being, as I am, of Doom. Mrs. Cherd, however, takes particular delight in it. Whenever we’re doing housework to one of her playlists, it’s not uncommon for three Windhand songs from different albums to be followed by Bongzilla, then Electric Wizard, all while she promises that there are other genres in there and the next song probably won’t be stoner doom.” Family friendly doom.

Katechon – Sanger fra Auschwitz Review

By Holdeneye on March 12, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Death Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Saturnal Records, Black Metal, Death Metal, 68 comments

“Auschwitz. It’s a name that has come to represent a giant blemish on the great canvas of humanity, an almost incomprehensible chapter in the story of our species. It’s no wonder that while existentialism existed prior to World War II and its horrors, it wasn’t until humanity was forced to look into the mirror of that great conflict, coming face to face with its own darkness and capacity for evil that the philosophy that deals with facing meaninglessness and absurdity began to resonate with the masses. On this, their third full-length album, Norwegian band Katechon leaves the esotericism of their past behind and instead takes ‘a deep dive into the darkest places of the collective human psyche. Here Auschwitz is not just the physical, but also the meta-physical manifestation of evil on earth.'” Never forget.

Abyssic – High the Memory Review

By Cherd on February 28, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Norwegian Metal, Osmose Productions, Death Doom, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 64 comments

“Metal, as a rule, is an exercise in excess. Of the ‘popular’ musical styles, it’s the loudest, the heaviest, the angriest, the most extreme. Thematically, topics of death and darkness are presented with superlative hyperbole. For non-fans, it’s all about as subtle as a volcanic explosion. We, of course, know better. Within each metal sub-genre, bands fall on a relative spectrum ranging from ‘tastefully restrained’ to ‘over-indulgent like, whoa.’ But what does the latter look like when the sub-genre is already known for being the -est? Say, funeral doom? It looks something like Norway-based Abyssic’s second full-length, High the Memory.” The duck confit of doom.

Imperia – Flames of Eternity Review

By Doom_et_Al on February 23, 2019 in 2019, Massacre Records, Norwegian Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 95 comments

“Any magician will tell you that the key to most tricks is misdirection: draw the audience’s eyes away from where they should be looking by any means possible. While their attention is averted, the sleight-of-hand takes place. What separates the greats from, say, Magician Bob at your niece’s third birthday party, is the seamlessness with which this technique is performed. Or to put it bluntly, if you notice that you’re being distracted, they’re doing it wrong.” Oh, this bodes well…